Alan Singer

About the author: Alan Singer is an assistant professor of education in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. He is on the Board of Directors of the United Community Centers, which conducts HIV/AIDS education programs in Brooklyn under a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Studies have demonstrated that many teenagers across the country are engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse. These teenagers need guidance and education. Public schools are the appropriate setting in which to teach safe sex and to distribute condoms to teenagers. Condom distribution and sex education programs, if administered properly, will not only save young lives, but will also foster responsible sexual behavior and values.

When my son was 14, he joined a...